Around the World...and then some

Home on Red Square

Yesterday was the first day I felt as though I’d rather be here, in Moscow, than back home in Middlebury. Now, to all my dear Middkids, don’t take this personally -- the truth is I’d rather be anywhere as long as it’s with all of you. Yesterday, however, I felt happy to just simply be in Russia.

I woke up yesterday with nothing on the schedule. I slept in, listened to some music, had a long lunch with Irina Ivanovna and Igor Konstantinovich (her “physicist* friend”) and finally decided that I just wanted to go out for a walk. I wasn’t sure where to, but all I knew is that if I stayed in the apartment, I was likely to start actually doing my homework or something. And seeing how it was way more than 12 hours before that homework was due, I knew I didn’t want to be doing that (oh no, kids, Russia hasn’t changed me that much).

So, I got on the metro and picked a metro stop. I picked one that I hadn’t been to before, but would essentially know where I was when I got off. It was Александровский Сад, a straight shot from my apartment, and right in the middle of town. It actually ended up being even more in the middle of town than I had expected, for when I got off I found myself right in the shadow of the Kremlin.

I started walking. Past Red Square. Over to the Bolshoi. Back to Red Square. A little up Tverskaya Ulitsa. I was just walking. I stopped at one point and had a cup of tea in a café. I really can’t tell you that I did anything at all. But let’s face it -- when do I do anything at all on an average Sunday afternoon at Middlebury? I feel as though I could explore this city forever. I mean, I’ve already been to Red Square probably four times, but I was still drawn there yesterday. Maybe it's more about enjoying being in a big city, but I was really happy to have a clear schedule yesterday, and still have something worthwhile to do. The truth is, Red Square is just breathtaking, and I think I'd rather do nothing there than anywhere else right now.



*It has recently come to my attention that the word, in English, is "physicist" and not "physic". And by come to my attention, I mean my mom asked me what on earth I was talking about and I then realized that my brain is apparently way better at transliterating than translating. In Russian, physicist = физик/fizik ....and the cloud of confusion clears. Or, at least, I hope so.

posted by Becky @ 8:55 AM